Dr. John Schenk
The Environmental and Plant Biology Colloquium Series presents Dr. John Schenk discussing “Endless Forms: Understanding the Patterns and Processes of Plant Morphological Evolution” on Jan. 25 from 11:50 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in Porter Hall 104.
Schenk is Assistant Professor of Plant Biology at Georgia Southern University.
Abstract: When considering the almost infinite morphological forms of plants, one cannot help but to be amazed by the sheer diversity of forms that have evolved. When such variation is examined over evolutionary time, a picture emerges of dynamic, complicated, and sometimes unknown processes of diversification that have led to such forms. In my talk, I will explore how evolutionary biologists examine patterns of morphological diversity to infer the evolutionary processes that have generated morphological variation. I will first discuss floral evolution of staminodes, which are infertile stamen that are often coopted to perform novel functions. I will then discuss how evolution does and does not drive variation in seed morphologies.
Comments